This invention relates generally to terminal blocks and more specifically to terminal blocks having terminal cavities for housing female terminals that are locked in the terminal cavities by lock tangs of the female terminals.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,109 granted to William E. Cross Jun. 27, 1978 discloses a terminal block having a plurality of terminal cavities extending through the terminal block that house female terminals of the type that is disclosed is U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,410 granted to Donald G. Baer et al Aug. 16, 1966. These types of female terminals have at least one lock tang that snaps over an internal lock projection in the terminal cavity to lock the female terminal in place upon insertion into the terminal cavity via a rear opening of the terminal cavity.
These terminal blocks are typically molded of a thermoplastic material in a mold using axial cores for forming the terminal cavities. The axial cores produce a wide axial slot for each internal lock projection in the terminal cavity that extends from a front opening of the terminal cavity to the respective internal lock projection. The wide axial slot or slots allow the front end of the female terminal to float in the vertical direction and also make it possible to mismatch the mating male blade terminal by inserting it between the female terminal and the terminal cavity wall associated with the internal lock projection rather than into the female terminal itself.